Science instruction in secondary compulsory education of French-speaking Switzerland with respect to international inquiries on youth scientific culture

Abstract

PISA 2006 evaluated the scientific literacy of adolescents from 57 countries. In a period of decreasing interest in science in the OECD countries and because of students’ limited scientific skills, it is crucial to involve the school and particularly those of the compulsory years, in developing this literacy. In this article, we survey the science curricula of the of secondary schools in reference to the PISA questions to compare the prescribed scientific education with the demands of the experts about how to reinforce adolescents’ interest in science. In this context, we provide an overview of science education in the seven cantons of French speaking Switzerland.